Did she blame him for her kidnapping?
It would make sense. He had tried to marry her off to a man twice her age and left her vulnerable to attack by not vetting her limo driver, who was working with Mr. J.
But still, from what Merc had read in Cotter and Caroline's file, it seemed the father and daughter duo were extremely close, especially since Caroline's mother died shortly after Caro’s twin sister had died a week after her birth.
“I thought maybe you and I could go to our favorite place and catch up on some old movies. Spend some quality time together before your welcome home party at the end of the week.”
The rest of Merc's team continued to eat, keeping their heads down and ears perked up. Merc had no such scruples. Cotter made his daughter feel uncomfortable and Merc intended to find out why. Until then, he didn't trust the man around Caroline. Didn't trust anyone, really.
Caroline carefully placed her fork on the white linen tablecloth and turned to look up at her father for the first time since he entered the room. “Why are you doing this?”
“To celebrate your homecoming, of course. All of your friends have been just as worried about you as I have. They want to see that you're safe and happy,” Cotter answered smoothly.
“Are you invitinghim?”
Merc had a feeling he knew exactly who she was asking about — the General. Surely her father hadn’t been that stupid, had he?
“Yes, of course, dear. He’s been concerned about your well-being.”
Caroline shoved her chair back and scowled up at her father, the outburst of emotion startling Cotter. “How could you? How could you invite him here after what’s happened?” Her hands fisted at her sides.
But apparently Cotter thought everything would resume easy as pie. “What do you mean? General Rainier has always been one of your close confidants. I've already called off that farce of a wedding, but he’s still your friend and he’s worried about you.”
Merc glared at the senator on Caroline's behalf. How could the senator not consider his daughter’s feelings at all?
“I don't want him here,” Caroline hissed out through clenched teeth. “I don't want a party. I don't want to see anyone; don't you understand?”
Merc could feel the fury radiating off her and it took every ounce of control he had not to stand up and put himself between her and her father. It was obvious that Cotter loved her, but even more obvious was Caroline's seething anger.
“I thought you’d be happy to see all of your friends.” Cotter’s practiced political smile faded into a small frown.
“You were wrong. I want to be alone. I want everyone to leave me alone.” Cotter reached for her and she flung his arm away. “And that means you too,” Caroline said, then bolted from the room.
Merc grabbed his chair to keep from following her. Her reaction was understandable – she'd been through a severe trauma and there was no way she was ready to reenter society yet, especially if it meant socializing with a bunch of pompous nitwits and political bigwigs. She needed time to re-acclimate.
Cotter turned a fascinating shade of white then green and sank down into Caroline’s empty chair, dropping his head into his hands.
Merc didn't feel the least bit of sympathy for the man. “She's not ready.”
Cotter lifted his head and turned his dazed look to Merc. “I thought she'd love it. She's always loved being around other people. You should watch her in a crowd — she practically comes to life. I thought maybe it would help her get back to her old self.”
Merc shoved his chair back and stood, his uneaten plate forgotten. Caroline's distress had turned his stomach. “I'm sure she'll get back to that one day, but she needs more time.”
Aaron chimed in from his right, “Most civilians who have been through a traumatic experience for an extended amount of time need months to recover. Your daughter was kidnapped by a ruthless monster and held captive for weeks. She was shot and nearly blown up. And before that, we have no idea what he did to her. Because of this, I would advise you to make these next few weeks as peaceful and quiet as possible for your daughter.”
Cotter slammed his fist onto the table in a burst of anger. “Damn J to hell. He can come after me all he wants, but not my daughter. My baby.” Cotter faced Merc, craning his head back. “I want you on her twenty-four-seven, do you understand? She doesn't make a move without you knowing it. J isn’t through, and he knows I love her more than anything else in this world. He'll try to hurt her again.”
Merc nodded his agreement.
Ranger cleared his throat in the background. “We've already ordered an extra security team for the grounds, but it wouldn’t hurt if you ordered another team in as extra security until the immediate danger passes. Or at least for the party.”
Or until they catch Mr. J.
“I'll leave that to your team. The last time I tried to take over my daughter's security detail, she was kidnapped. I bow to your expertise.”
“Cancel the party,” Merc said.
“Unfortunately, that's impossible. Most of the guests are already en-route, and we’ll have a large number staying the night here,” Cotter said.
